"Alright… plan number four hundred and two has failed. Record the formula and let's try again."
"Werewolf saliva… how much werewolf saliva do we have left? Thank Merlin… wait! I mean the kind collected when they're in their berserk wolf form! What? That's all that's left?"
"Alright… that's not your fault. It's your first time assisting after all—some mistakes are normal. Now you understand why Professor Taft insists on prior work experience, right? If something goes wrong over there, people actually die…"
"When's the next full moon? Merlin… so we'll have to wait at least another week. Maybe we could try our luck with a few dark magic shops? No, that won't work. In the current situation, if you do that, a bunch of Dark wizards will be watching you the next second…"
"Another letter just arrived? From the basilisk breeding farm? Merlin's beard… I'll write back later."
"Merlin… there's simply too much to do. I just hope the new professor the Headmistress mentioned is reliable…"
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock sounded clearly through the chaotic laboratory—its rhythm unfamiliar enough that it immediately interrupted Damocles Belby's exhausted muttering.
"Come in?"
He called toward the door somewhat uncertainly.
The door opened, and a stranger stepped quickly inside.
Merlin… it really is him.
The moment the door opened and Avada saw the familiar face, he couldn't help but praise inwardly.
Damocles Belby.
A top master of Potions and curse studies, the inventor of Wolfsbane Potion, a recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class, one of the most outstanding elites in wizarding society, and the undisputed authority in werewolf research.
His face had appeared countless times in newspapers and magazines, and Avada had long memorized it.
"Pleasure to meet you, Professor Belby!"
He stepped forward enthusiastically and extended his hand.
"I'm Nathan Clarke, the newly appointed professor of mental magic. I heard from Headmistress Goshawk that you're currently short on manpower, so I came to see whether there might be something I could—"
"Ah! You must be Professor Clarke!"
Belby cut him off in excitement and shook his hand vigorously.
"The Headmistress told me about you yesterday. She said you're someone personally recommended by Professor Benjamin Baker, and that you joined the university in order to investigate the werewolf incidents…"
"You're really willing to help! Merlin's beard, you're practically my savior! I'm so busy right now I wish I could split myself in half!"
"…."
Belby didn't notice the momentary stiffness in Avada's expression at all. Instead, he enthusiastically pulled him further into the laboratory.
"As you can see, we're currently analyzing the principles behind that controlled berserk transformation technique. I suspect someone has created a new potion based on werewolf saliva, so we're conducting experiments in that direction."
"Everyone, pause for a moment and greet the new professor!"
The young people in the laboratory—some busy, some idle—stopped what they were doing and turned toward Avada.
They had just finished an experiment anyway, so nothing particularly urgent was happening.
At the same time, Avada was observing the laboratory and the faces inside it.
Aside from Professor Belby, everyone here seemed quite young. It appeared that Belby had been personally responsible for the experiment just completed, while the others were probably student assistants.
Oh—there was also an old man over there. Perhaps another professor?
And the dark creature standing beside him was…
A werewolf?!
A fully transformed werewolf!
For a moment, Avada wondered whether his eyes were playing tricks on him.
It wasn't even the full moon!
"Well, let me introduce someone properly."
Belby noticed Avada's astonished expression and smiled as he led him toward the mismatched pair.
Pointing to the werewolf, he said,
"This is Montgomery. Montgomery, this is Professor Clarke."
"Hello, Professor Clarke."
The werewolf named Montgomery actually stood up politely and extended his claw.
"I'm Montgomery, a second-year student at Nobby Leach University and Professor Belby's assistant."
"He was turned into a werewolf by Fenrir Greyback when he was very young," Belby explained as Avada cautiously shook the claw.
"After that he was sent to me for treatment."
"My research achieved a major breakthrough with him. He can now permanently retain his reason and memory without needing treatment—and he has completely lost his infectiousness."
"That impressive?!"
Avada was genuinely shocked.
The significance of such a breakthrough was far greater than even the Wolfsbane Potion.
"However, there is one small problem."
Belby's tone suddenly turned awkward.
"There was an unknown error during the treatment. As a result, he can now only remain permanently in werewolf form. Only during the full moon can he briefly transform back into a human."
"…."
"So now he is not only my student and assistant but also my primary research subject."
Belby continued,
"If we can determine the root cause of the problem during that treatment and fix it, it will mean the werewolf curse has finally been completely cured."
"And this gentleman…"
Belby pointed toward the elderly wizard beside Montgomery, who seemed to be half asleep.
"His situation is even more special, and it's directly related to the mission you're about to undertake."
"I heard from the Headmistress that you're interested in the mission to infiltrate Azkaban and locate Gilderoy Lockhart, correct?"
"For now, yes."
Avada didn't deny it.
"Then let me explain further."
"This old gentleman comes from Armenia, and he's one of Lockhart's victims. Most of his memories were erased—he doesn't even remember his own name."
"However, among those lost memories is precisely the information we desperately need."
"The method for curing the werewolf curse."
"Werewolf… you mean the Human-Restoration Spell?"
Avada immediately recalled the controversial passage from Lockhart's books.
Once again, he was stunned by the sheer efficiency of Nobby Leach University.
They had actually tracked down the victim?!
"Exactly—the Human-Restoration Spell Lockhart mentioned in his book."
Belby nodded.
"According to the Wizengamot and Dumbledore, Gilderoy Lockhart would first gain the trust of his victims. After they told him their stories in detail, he would erase their memories with the Memory Charm, replace the protagonist of those events with himself, and write the stories into his books."
"That means this old gentleman once truly possessed the spell capable of forcibly restoring a berserk werewolf back to human form."
"The research value of that spell is immeasurable. But it was erased by Gilderoy Lockhart."
"We investigated the area where the victim lived but couldn't find any of his students or colleagues. So the only option left is to target Lockhart himself."
Belby let out a heavy sigh, clearly expressing his disgust toward Lockhart.
"Our plan is to infiltrate Azkaban, extract all of Gilderoy Lockhart's memories, and locate every fragment related to that magic. The more clues we can gather, the better our chances of reconstructing the spell."
"And if possible, we also hope to obtain his wand. Using Prior Incantato, we might be able to replay the spell."
"After all…"
"He hasn't cast that many spells in his life."
(End of Chapter)